The Last Unicorn, published in 1968, remains the defining work of Peter S. Beagle, establishing his reputation as a writer of fantasy fiction. His career spans decades of prose and screenwriting, including a notable return to his most famous world with the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novelette, Two Hearts, released in 2005.
Early Development and Academic Path
Born in 1939 in the Bronx, New York, Peter Soyer Beagle is the son of Simon Beagle, a history teacher, and Rebecca Soyer. His early interest in fantasy emerged from reading The Wind in the Willows. After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science in 1955, he earned a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh for a poem submitted during his senior year. He later completed a degree in creative writing and held a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University.
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Beagle completed his first novel, A Fine and Private Place, at age 19. His body of work includes novels like The Folk of the Air, The Innkeeper's Song, and Summerlong, alongside the 1965 memoir I See by My Outfit. His contributions to other media include writing the screenplay for the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings, the teleplay for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Sarek, and the libretto for the opera The Midnight Angel.
Legal Disputes and Rights Recovery
Beagle endured extended legal conflicts regarding his intellectual property. Between 2003 and 2011, he challenged Granada Media International over unpaid profits from the 1982 animated adaptation of The Last Unicorn, resulting in a settlement. Later, in 2015, he sued his former manager, Connor Cochran, for fraud and financial elder abuse. Following Cochran’s bankruptcy, Beagle successfully repurchased the rights to his work in 2021 for $600,000.
Fast facts
- Born: 1939, The Bronx, New York
- Notable work: The Last Unicorn (1968)
- Nebula Award for Best Novelette: 2007
- Hugo Award for Best Novelette: 2006
- Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award: 2018
- Guggenheim Fellowship: 1972
- Education: Bronx High School of Science; University of Pittsburgh
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What is Peter S. Beagle's most awarded work?
His 2005 novelette Two Hearts, a sequel to The Last Unicorn, received both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award.
Did Peter S. Beagle write for television?
Yes, he wrote the teleplay for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Sarek and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings.
Achievements
- Educated at University of Pittsburgh and Bronx High School of Science
- Worked as writer, screenwriter and novelist
